1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a steam generator, a laundry treatment apparatus including the same, and a method of controlling the laundry treatment apparatus.
2. Background
Generally, the term “laundry treatment apparatus” refers to household appliances including a washing apparatus, for removing contaminants from laundry by the interaction between washing water supplied therein and detergent, and a drying apparatus, for drying laundry by supplying hot air to wet laundry. Among recent laundry treatment apparatuses, there are examples capable of sterilizing laundry and removing smells and wrinkles using a steam generator. A general steam generator includes a storage space for containing water supplied from the outside and a heater provided in the storage space so as to directly contact the water contained in the storage space.
Since such a steam generator is operated in such a way as to activate the heater after the storage space has been filled with a predetermined amount of water, it is possible to supply steam only when the water in the storage space is boiled. Accordingly, such steam generator takes too much time to generate steam, and there is difficulty in controlling the pressure of the steam discharged from the steam generator.
The steam generator is also constructed so as to generate steam from water supplied from a water source provided in a home, and components (calcium, magnesium, basic substances, and the like) contained in the water adhere with each other during a heating procedure and form a scale (calcium carbonate, magnesium sulfate, and the like) in the storage space. When the scale is generated in the storage space, the scale may plug a discharge member, through which steam is discharged to the outside of the storage space.
Although the scale remaining in the storage space adheres firmly to surfaces of the storage space and a heater, the scale present in higher regions is separated from surfaces of the storage or the heater in the event of overheating of the heater or imbalance of the temperature inside the storage space. Hence, a discharge member may be plugged or clogged with the scale. Since a general steam generator activates a heater only when the heater is completely immersed in water for safety, water further needs to be resupplied to the storage space, even when a considerable amount of water remains in the storage space. Such resupply increases water consumption.
Because different types of laundry have varying moisture content, there may be a risk of damaging laundry when hot air is supplied to the laundry for a period of time determined based on the amount of clothes. The time required for laundry having a higher moisture content to be dried to a desired level and the time required for laundry having a lower moisture content to be dried to the desired level are different from each other. The laundry having a lower moisture content may be damaged due to overdrying when hot air is supplied until both types of laundry reach the desired level of dryness.